[staff]

FORD USES SOCIAL NETWORKING TO MARKET NEW FIESTA; BRAND AWARENESS SKYROCKETS

* The Fiesta Movement and test drive program has resulted in more than 50,000 hand-raisers; 97 percent of whom currently do not drive a Ford
* Ford's Fiesta Movement has driven brand awareness for the small car to levels equivalent to models that have been in the market for two to three years
* Social media sites also are buzzing with Fiesta Movement-generated content, with more than 4.3 million YouTube views, 540,000 Flickr views and 3 million Twitter impressions

FORD FIESTA FORUM – More than nine months before the 2011 Ford Fiesta goes on sale in North America, the new small car can claim more than 50,000 potential customers, and 97 percent of them would be new to Ford, thanks to Ford's groundbreaking Fiesta Movement.

Ford took a nontraditional approach with the Fiesta Movement initiative, using a fraction of a typical marketing and advertising budget and relying on social media to drive the buzz. This means huge dividends for the brand – Fiesta awareness is running at the same level of a nameplate that has been on the market for two to three years.

"We didn't break the bank. We didn't use traditional media. We tried something different, and it is working" said Connie Fontaine, Ford Brand and Content Alliances manager. "We're delighted with how Fiesta is gaining traction with consumers. It's a whole new way of introducing a car to market."

The Fiesta Movement promotes Ford's new small car through 100 socially vibrant "agents" who have been driving Euro-spec Fiestas and taking part in monthly themed "missions" such as volunteerism, adventure, and style and design. After each mission wraps, the agents relate their experiences through the realm of social media.

Social networking sites allow Ford to meet consumers it might not connect with through traditional advertising, making it easier to open dialogue with a whole new set of consumers. The Fiesta Movement also realizes that people trust people like themselves and that everyone has a car story, and has successfully leveraged this as a platform from which to promote a new car.

Fiesta Movement drives the discussion
Agents are taking advantage of their time in Ford Fiestas, accumulating more than 1 million miles total. And their Fiesta Movement-related content is gaining huge traction on the Internet, with:

* More than 4.3 million YouTube views
* More than 540,000 Flickr views
* More than 3 million Twitter impressions

Through the accompanying nationwide test drive program, more than 162,000 customers have interacted with the Fiesta through walk-arounds and social interactions and 35,000 have taken a test drive.

Fiesta Movement agents are also providing key product insights with Ford. Exterior styling, driving dynamics and unique color offerings top the list of their favorite attributes.

Follow the Fiesta Movement:
YouTube: www.youtube.com/fiestamovement
Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/fiestamovement
Facebook: www.facebook.com/fiestamovement
Twitter: www.twitter.com/fordfiesta

[mress]

The unique marketing campaign is a wrap and seems to be a hit. I am forty eight years old, I found it interesting to follow some of the posts. I am not an creative/artistic type person. I am a technician, I deal with most things in life as a "broken or not broken" situation. I agree that this promotion has created a huge amount of name recognition among college aged non car people in a few months that could not have been purchased with all the beer in St. Louis! Now, the real interesting thing is going to unfold. Will the tweets and downloads translate into sales contracts? Remember, you have to press down real hard when signing the RD108 (four copies, last one is yours. I seem to recall) . I think this was actually the very first internet auto promotion that was more about how well the car fit the owners lifestyle, rather than how the car changed (or at least promised) the owners lifestyle. That is some profound thinkin' for a mechanic! I like the Fiesta. I am still onboard to purchase.